Forcing a Change
by Raptor3ggs
Summary: Just hours after Raizen's death, Houkishin tries to comfort the inwardly-greiving Yusuke with a homecooked meal. Yusuke has smelled this smell before, but it might be too tempting this time to resist. One-shot.


"We've prepared a meal for you, my lord," Houkishin said, gesturing towards the fine plate in front of Yusuke. "With the passing of your father and all of your hard training, we've spared no expense finding you the finest fare Demonworld has to offer."

"Hey, you didn't have to do that," Yusuke sat down in front of the plate, which was resting on a flat, table-like rock. "Though, it does smell delicious," he said after a few seconds, picking up a pair of chopsticks. The meal was mostly noodles with some shredded meat and a strange, purple colored vegetable he had never seen before.

As Yusuke gripped a bite with his chopsticks, he didn't notice the small narrowing of Houkishin's eyes as he watched him, nor did he notice the reason behind the familiar smell. All that he noticed was that he was hungry - more so now that he was about to take this first bite than earlier.

The second he had swallowed his first bite, Houkishin relaxed. The look on Yusuke's face made him believe he had enjoyed the taste - something that almost would have surprised him, if it hadn't been for Yusuke's... _Lineage._

"How does it taste, my lord?" He asked, pouring a glass of tea.

Yusuke didn't answer until after he had taken a few more bites, "Really good. Man, you should be a chef or something, Houkishin. This is better than my mom's TV dinners."

Houkishin didn't know what a TV dinner was, but he accepted the compliment with grace. "As long as it pleases you, my lord."

"It's strange though," Yusuke started, forcing Houkishin's heart to beat just a little faster. "This smell... I've smelt it before," he picked up a purple vegetable, "What's this?" he asked.

"Just a Guruguru, my lord. They're said to increase the strength of those who eat it. Back when he still ate, your father Raizen had one with every meal." Yusuke's eyes flashed, and Houkishin knew he had said too much.

"What about this meat," Yusuke said darkly, "What is it?"

A bead of sweat rolled down Houkishin's face. "I beleive you already know, my lord."

Everything was everywhere in a flash - the plate, an ancient and priceless heirloom, though Yusuke wouldn't have know, was thrown violently against the wall, splattering the food across the stone floor. Yusuke had stood, grabbing the front of Houkishin's shirt and pulling him down to look him in the eye. "You _bastard..._" Yusuke growled, tightening his grip.

"I do not see the problem," Houkishin replied, meeting his new lord's gaze evenly. "You seemed to enjoy the meal, even complimented my cooking," at the word _cooking, _Yusuke's stomach lurched, "Though your father before you had sworn against it, there is nothing wrong with partaking of the food of your kind."

The fire in Yusuke's eyes burned brighter, "Look, you _jerk._ Where I come from, eating people is _wrong!_" His fury was only half turned on the demon, as the rest of it was turned against himself. Was he angry because Houkishin hadn't told him that his meal was a _human, _or was he angry because Houkishin was right - it had tasted _good?_

"You said yourself that there is no problem in doing what must be done to survive. And if you didn't notice, that's exactly what we're doing - surviving." Houkishin's eyes narrowed, "If you want to beat me, go ahead. But that will not change the fact that you are a _demon_, my lord, and nor will it change the fact that you enjoyed the taste of human flesh more than you would like to admit." At Yusuke's silence, he asked, "Am I wrong?"

Yusuke made an angry noise and then threw the demon - tossing him into the wall and effectively causing him to cough up a small amount of blood. "It was that old man's wish that demons would stop feeding on humans - he _died_ for that wish." His brown eyes were hardened, making him look worn beyond his years, "I don't care if you guys eat humans or whatever, but I plan to respect my father's wish." He turned to leave, but before he did he shot one last glare at the demon as he tried to stand, "Don't you _ever_ feed a human to me again, or I will kill you."

"Yes, my lord," was all Houkishin said as he watched the young boy leave. For a moment, it was as if Raizen was there again, and he knew that Yusuke was right - Raizen, who he had respected and followed almost blindly, had died so that humans (worthless, weak, livestock) could live without the fear of becoming a meal for those above them.

If his old lord and his new lord were both against eating humans, who was he to try and tip the balance? There was a saying he had picked up from the son of Raizen - "If you can't beat them, join them." He wouldn't live long, but perhaps it was the best he could do to honor the memory of Raizen - he would refrain from eating humans, and share the strongest of the Three King's fate.

"I will never eat a human agian," he swore outloud, closing his eyes, "It was a mistake to try and force a change in Yusuke Urameshi - instead, he has forced one in me."

This was not the end of the changes that Yusuke would force during his stay in the Demon world - though his choices would no longer just affect individuals, but entire dimensions. Two hours later, the young son of Raizen decended upon the house of Yomi, and started the most radical change in the history of any of the worlds.


End file.
